Foodie News
Will the Krispy Kreme burger go mainstream — or kill you?
Just when you thought people were running out of ways to cause a caloric explosion (I mean, come on, fried butter?), just when you're tired of the KFC Double Down, state fair season is here to think of something new to deep fry.
This year's hit? The Krispy Kreme burger. Yes, that's two Krispy Kreme donuts straddling a hamburger patty and cheese. Don't worry, dieters, there's a version for you — sometimes people make do with just one donut cut in half for the bun. We're guessing that's the recession version.
It may have come to fame this summer at fairs in Wisconsin (where you have the option to add chocolate-covered bacon), Kentucky and Florida, but the donut burger has been around since at least 2005, when it came to be known as the Luther Burger after R&B singer Luther Vandross, who reportedly loved it and is rumored to have invented it.
At Gateway Grizzlies games, a baseball team in the Illinois Frontier League near St. Louis, it's called a Grizzly Burger, and its introduction in 2006 actually boosted attendance.
Paula Deen has a version, of course — she adds a fried egg. In New York they're available at Crave Shack in Astoria and at the Google cafeteria.
Alas, every donut burger is not created equal. While some versions rock the scale at 1,000-plus calories, the Wisconsin fair version is reported to have only 500 calories.
Despite the popular demand — the Wisconsin fair vendor says she expects to sell up to 10,000 in 10 days — Krispy Kreme doesn't seem to have any plans to take the donut burger national. We'll just have to keep our (sticky) fingers crossed.
A moment of national Zen:
